Grain heater and drier.



CARTER,

GRAIN HEATER AND DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-27.1913

Patented May 16,1916.

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GRAIN HEATER AND DRlER.

APPLICATION HLED Aua.27T1913.

; Patented Mgy16,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- F1 wez 1101 1 7 By his C. W. CARTER.

GRAIN HEATER AND DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.27. 1913.

Patented May 16, 1916.

3 $HEETSSHEET 3- p. q

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE W. CARTER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ANTON HUHN AND ONE-HALF TO HENRY S. KENNEDY,

GRAIN. HEATER AND DRIER.

Application filed August 27, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE W. CARTER, a citizen of the United States. residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain Heaters and Driers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Hyv invention relates to apparatus for dry ing grain and various other materials, and is directed, particularly, to the provision of an improved apparatus for heating and drying grain.

Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

A satisfactory grain drier, or grain heater and drier. must not only be capable of doing good work, that is, in effecting an even drying of the grain to the desired degree of moisture, but must, also, have high quantity capacity.

Various more or lessefiicient grain heating and drying apparatus have hitherto been devised and used, but all thereof, with which I am familiar, have been deficient either in the quantity of material which they were capable of handling or in the quality of the work or drying action produced thereon.

My invention provides an apparatus which will not only do a high grade. of work but has a very high quantity efiiciency.

In my improved drier, I employ a rotary drum or other suitable form of endless rotating carrier, and in connection, I provide within the drum, a stack of grain deflectors. \Vith this improved arrangement, the grain which is elevated and then precipitated in the drum is caused to fall upon the stack of deflectors and its return to the bottom of the drum, under the action of gravity, is retarded. In fact, these deflectors cause the falling grain to be deflected, first in one direction and then in the other, and so retard the return of the grain to the bottom of the drum, that a very large proportion Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16,1916.

Serial No. 786,939:

of the total grain in the drum is maintained in a shower, with the grain kernels all completely surrounded by and subject to the moving air within the drum. In practice, I have found that even when a very large and heavy stream or body of grain is maintained within the rotating drum, as much as forty or fifty per cent. thereof, will all the time be maintained in the shower falling from the top to the bottom of the drum through the space between the deflectors, whereas, with the same drum and under the same conditions, but with the deflector removed, only about five or six per cent. of the total body of grain will be maintained in the shower. The advantage gained by this improved arrangement is obvious.

In the preferred form of the grain drier, I employ two drums delivering one to the other. In the first drum I provide means for heating the grain, thereby hastening the. liberation of moisture from the grain,

and I provide means for cooling the grain and drawing off the evaporated moisture from the grain in the second drum. In this improved apparatus, as a further and important feature of novelty, the deflectors in the first or receiving drum are made in the form of tubes or pipes that are kept hot by steam delivered into the same. Also, in thesecond or cooling drum, I provide deflectors of angle bar or other suitable form, and provide means for drawing air through said drum, in a direction from its delivery toward its receiving end.

In the accoml'mnying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete drying apparatus; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line .11 .11" on Fig. 6; Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 00 m on'Fig. 6; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail in section through one of the tubes on the line m m on Fig. (3; and Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken through the apparatus on the line .11 .1! on Fig. 2.

The framework of the machine, which may be of any suitable construction, is indicated as an entirety by the numeral 1. The numeral 2 indicates the upper or heating drum, and the numeral 3 the lower or cooling drum. These drums 2 and 3 are provided near their ends with external annular spur gears 4 having pitch-like flanges On the opposite sides of the drums, extending parallel to the axes thereof, are counter shafts 6 journaled in suitable hearings on the frame ,1, and provided with pinions 7 that mesh with the spur gears 4, and have peripheral flanges S on which the peripheral flanges of the drum gears 4 are arranged to run. The cooperating flanges 5 and 8 of the gears 1 and pinions 7 afford rollers that support the drums 2 and 3 for rotary movements on their own axes. By reference to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the drums 2 and 3 are inclined in reverse directions and that the former is located directly over the latter. Obviously, when the pinions 7 are rotated, the drums 2 and 3 will be rotated at a relatively slow speed. The counter shafts 6 may be rotated in different ways, but as shown, they are arranged to be rotated as follows:

The numeral 9 indicates a horizontal driving shaft journaled in suitable bearings 10 and 11 on the frame 1 and having universal knuckle joint connections 12. At its intermediate portion, this jointed shaft 9 is provided with a pulley 13 over which will run a power driven belt l-l (see Fig. 2). At its ends, said jointed shaft 9 is provided with sprockets 15 that aline with sprockets 16 on the ends of the upper and lower counter shafts 6. Sprocket chains 17 run over the alined sprockets l5 and 16. The drums 2 and 3 should be set on an incline, approximately as shown, so as to cause a continuous drift of grain from the upper or receiving ends to the lower or delivery ends. The two drums 2 and 3 are, provided with longitudinally extended circumferentially spaced lifting flights 18 that are preferably curved, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, to afford troughs or elongated buckets for elevating the grain.

The grain to be dried is supplied to the upper end of the upper or heating drum 2 from a supply spout 19 to the delivery end of which is attached a disk-like head 20 that closes the upper end of the said drum 2 except at the open lower end of the spout 19. The spout 19 may be supported in any suitable way and so may the head 20, but, as shown, the latter is supported at least in part by a bracket 21 secured on the frame 1.

The open lower end of the drum 2 delivers into the upper end of a wide spout 22, the lower end of which delivers into the upper end of the lower drum 3 and, as shown. is rigidly secured to a head 23 that closes the upper end of the said drum 3, except at the open lower end of the said spout 22. The

air discharge pipe 2-l opens from the lower portion of the spout 22.

The grain passing from the lower end of the lower drum 3 is directed to a discharge spout 25, which, as shown, is rigidly secured to a head 26 that closes the lower end of the drum 3 except at the open upper end of the spout 25. As shown. the spout 25 is supported from the frame 1 by a bracket 27, and the upper edge of the head 26 is supported from the framework 1 by a bracket 28.

As already indicated, the stack of deflectors which extend through the upper or heating drum 2, are in the form of steam pipes 29. These steam pipes 29 extend longitudinally through the upperdrum 3, and their upper ends extend through the head 20 and are closed by caps 30, or other suitable devices. The lower ends of the tubes 29 are connected to a header 31 that is kept supplied with live steam from a steam supply pipe 32. This header 31, preferably extends slightly into the upper portion of the outer wall of the spout 22. 1

The stack of deflectors in the cooling drum 3 are preferably formed of angle iron set with their angles turned upward. These angular deflectors 33 extend nearly or quite through to the lower drum 3, and at their lower ends, are supported by the head 26, being preferably. and as shown, inserted through and secured in triangular perforations 3- formed in the said head. These triangular perforations 34 afford air inlet ports, the purpose of which will presently appear. The upper ends of the deflector bars 33 are, as shown, secured to a header plate 35, which, in turn, is rigidly secured to the fixed drum head 23 by suitable tie brackets 36.

To prevent lodging of grain on the tubes 29, they are preferably provided with angle iron crown strips 37 (see particularly Figs. 3 and 5). These crown strips 37 may be conveniently and efficiently attached to the said tubes by means of light metal clamping bands 38, preferably having their ends attached by folding or clenching them together, as shown in Fig. 5. at 39.

Operation: The stack of combined deflecting and heating pipes 29 will, of course, be kept supplied with steam from the header 31, so that they maintain the desired high temperature within the heating drum The air pipe 24 will be connected to a suction fan, or other means, for drawing air from the two drums. The circulation of air through the lower or cooling drum 3 is much freer than the circulation of air through the heating drum 2, and the connection with the former is more direct than with the latter, so that a great deal more air will be drawn through the said lower drum than through the upper drum. Air may be freely drawn into the lower drum through the ports 3% in the fixed head 26. Some air may also be drawn in through the grain discharge spout 25. Whatever air is drawn through the upper drum 2 will come in through the grain supply spout 19, or through the joint between the drum 2 and head 20. Of course, the head 20 might have air ports, if desired. That is desired, however, is a much greater circulation of air through the drum 3 than through the drum 2. The grain delivered from the spout 19 into the upper end of the upper or heating drum 2 will fall directly on the stack of hot steam pipes 29, and will be immediately precipitated on a zigzag course downward through the space between the pipes. On reaching the bottom of the drum, the grain will be picked up by the flights and carried to the top of the drum and gradually discharged, so that the precipitation of grain will commence on the rising side of the drum and continue, more or less, across the entire stack of steam pipes. Each time that the grain is thus precipitated, it will fall a little nearer to the delivery or lower end of the said drum 2, until it finally reaches thespout 22, and by the latter is delivered into the upper or receiving end of the cooling drum 3. The grain, in passing through the heating drum 2, is, of course, not only brought into direct contact with the hot tubes, but is, while in a shower, completely surrounded by the hot air in the said drum; and inasmuch as such a very large proportion of the total grain in the said drum 2 is all the time held in the'shower, it follows that the heating of the grain will be very rapid. Damp grain, thus heated, will very rapidly throw off its moisture into the air and the circulation of air through the heating drum should be only sufficient to carry off the saturated air without undue loss of heat units. The grain passing from the heating drum 2 into the receiving end of the cooling drum 3 will be at quite high temperature, and in condition to rapidly throw off moisture. The air circulated through the drum 3, it is important to note, passes from the lower or discharge end thereof to the upper or receiving end of said drum, so that the grain that is coolest and driest, as it approaches the discharge end of the said drum, will be subjected to air that is relatively dry, not having yet been called upon to take much moisture from the grain. In fact, the grain that has been nearly or completely dried to the desired condition, will still contain so much heat, at or near the delivery end of the cooling drum 3, that it will serve to warm or heat the incoming air before it has been brought into contact with grain containing much surplus moisture. Obviously. this is a desired result, because, as is well known, warm or hot air will take up a great deal more moisture than colder air. The action of the rotary drum 3 in lifting the grain, is

like that of the drum 2, and the grain will be held in a retarded shower by the stack of deflecting bars 33, approximately in the same way that it'is held back and maintained in a shower of greater bulk by the steam pipes 29. Also, the progressive movement of the grain under repeated elevation and precipitation, toward the lower or delivery end of the drum 3 is similar to that which takes place in the heating drum 2, as above described.

It will, of course, be understood that this so-called wheat or grain drier'may be used to treat various materials other than grain. It will also be understood that by the use of more or less of the elements illustrated in the drawings, in some instances without modification, and in other instances by modifications within the scope of the broad invention herein claimed, the apparatus may be used for tempering, conditioning, or otherwise, treating grain.

I herein use the term endless carrier, as a broad or generic term.

Both the rotary drum and the stack of deflectors, whether in the form of steam pipes or bars, must be extended in a general horizontal direction, although as 7 above described, they are preferably slightly inclined. Hence, in order to distinguish from drums or tubes that are upright or vertically extended, I herein use the expression substantially horizontal.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for treating grain or other materials comprising a fixedly positioned steam chest. a battery of approximately horizontal pipes supported at one end by said steam chest and each having independent communication therewith and supported in fixed parallel relation at their other ends, and a flighted drum surrounding said pipes and supported for rotation independently of said steam chest and pipe supporting means, and means for rotating said drum.

2. An apparatus for treating grain or other materials comprising a casing a fixed steam chest provided with an annular openended extension having a discharge spout from the lower portion thereof, a battery of pipes supported by and in communication with said steam chest at one end and supported in fixed parallel relation at the other end so as to extend at a slight angle from the horizontal upwardly from the point of support on the steam chest, a flighted cylinder mounted for rotation about said pipes and having an end thereof in communication with said casing extension so as to discharge into said spout, and means for introducing grain into the cylinder at the end away from the steam chest.

An apparatus for treating grain or other materials comprising a steam header, a battery of parallel substantially horizontal pipes supporte at one end by and in communication with said header, a rotatable flighted cylinder surrounding said battery of pipes, means for rotating the cylinder, and means for introducing grain into said cylinder at the end away from the steam header, and for withdrawing the grain from the end of said cylinder adjacent said steam header.

it. In an apparatus for treating grain or other materials, the combination with a substantially horizontal tubular carrier having internal lifting flights, of a relatively fixed steam header at one end of said carrier, a stack of substantiallyhorizontal steam pipes extending from said header through said carrier, the outer ends of said pipes being supported for independent endwise expansion and contraction, the said flights serving to repeatedly lift the grain or material and to precipitate the same through the space between said pipes.

In an apparatus for treating grain or other materials. the combination with a substantially horizontal rotary drum having internal lifting flights, of a relatively fixed steam header at one end of said drum, a stack of substantially horizontal steam pipes extended from said header longitudinally through said drum, the other ends of said pipes being supported for independent endwise expansion and contraction, and fixed heads in the carrier, the one having means for delivering grain or material into said carrier and the other having means for discharging the grain or material from said carrier. I

6. In an apparatus for treating grain or other materials, the combination with a substantially horizontal tubular carrier having internal lifting flights, of a stack of substantially horizontal steam pipes, the outer members of which pipes are located close to the path of movement of the inner edges of the said lifting flights. and which stack of pipes approximately fills the entire space within said carrier. the said flights serving to repeatedly elevate the grain or material, to precipitate the same through the space between said pipes, fixed heads for the said carrier, the one having means for the supplying and the other for the discharge of grain or material. and a steam header associated with one of the said heads. to which all of the said tubes are connected at one end, the other ends of said pipes being supported for independent endwise expansion and contraction.

7. In an apparatus for treating grain or other materials, the combination with a substantially horizontal tubular carrier having internal lifting flights, of a relatively fixed steam header at one end of said carrier, and a stack of substantially horizontal steam pipes extending from said header through Said. Carrier, the other ends of said pipes being supported for independent endwise expansion and contraction, and the outer members of which pipes are located close to the path of movement of the inner edges of said lifting flights, and which stack of pipes approximately fills the entire space within said carrier, the said flights serving to repeatedly lift the grain or material and to precipitate the same through the space between said pipes.

8. In an apparatus for treating grain or other materials, the combination with a substa-ntially horizontal rotary drum having internal lifting flights, of a relatively fixed steam header at one end of said drum, and a stack of substantially horizontal steam pipes extended from said header longitudinally through said drum, the other ends of said pipes being supported for independent endwise expansion and contraction, the outer members of which pipes are located close to the path of movement of the inner edges of said lifting flights and which stack of tubes approximately fills the entire space within said drum, the said flights serving to repeatedly elevate the grain or material and to precipitate the same through the space between said pipes.

9. In an apparatus for treating grain or other material, the combination with a substantially horizontal rotary drum having fixed heads, of a steam header secured in respect to one of the fixed heads of said drum, a delivery spout opening into said drum through one of its fixed heads, a discharge spout leading from the other end of said drum from the other fixed head thereof, and a stack of steam pipes connected at one end to the said steam header and extended longitudinally through said drum and supported at their other ends by the opposite fixed head of said drum.

10. In an apparatus for treating grain or other materials, the combination with two substantially horizontal rotary drums and connections for causing the one to deliver into the other, of means for continuously supplying the grain or other material to the receiving end of the first drum, means for continuously discharging the grain or other material from the delivery end of the second drum, a stack of steam pipes extended through the first drmn and serving as deflectors, and a stack of deflectors extending through the second drum, the said drums under rotation serving to repeatedly elevate the stock and precipitate the same through the space between said deflectors.

11. In an apparatus for treating grain or other materials, the combination with two substantially horizontal rotary drums and connections for causing the one to deliver into the other, of means for continuously supplying the grain or other material to the receiving end of the first drum, means for for forcing the circulation of air through 10 said drums.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnewss.

CLARENCE -W. CARTER.

Witnesses:

HARRY D. KILGQRE, F. D. MERCHANT, 

